Time for Iran to Retaliate, Speaker Says of West’s Conduct on JCPOA

Addressing an open session of the parliament on Wednesday morning, Larijani criticized UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his biased report about the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the lasting nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), hammered out in July 2015.

The Iranian parliament regrets the measures by the UN chief, the US government and the US Congress, Larijani said, warning that “disruptive moves” in relation to the JCPOA have reached a level that have left Iran with no choice but to take retaliatory action.

He then called on the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to draw up a plan in accordance with the related rules for opening a nuclear facility to enrich uranium at whatever purity level the country would require, and report back to the legislature.

Earlier this month, Reuters claimed it has seen a confidential report by the UN chief that says Iran’s ballistic missile launches “are not consistent with the constructive spirit” of the JCPOA.

Iran has rejected any links between its missile program, which is fully conventional and not aimed at developing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, and the JCPOA.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi on July 11 underscored that Tehran’s missile program has nothing to do with the JCPOA and does not violate the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the nuclear deal.

Qassemi said Iran employs missiles within the framework of its legitimate defense doctrine, and underlined that none of the missiles has been designed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Iran also maintains that the JCPOA does not undermine the country’s accomplishments in the field of peaceful nuclear technology.

That is why the Iranian parliament passed a bill back in June 2015 to protect the country’s nuclear achievements.

Also in October 2015, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei outlined nine main points that the administration should take note of regarding the course of implementing the JCPOA, including the need for safeguarding the country’s nuclear energy achievements.

Imam Khamenei also emphasized that throughout the 8-year period of implementing the JCPOA, imposing any sanctions, at any level and under any pretext –such as the “recurring and fabricated allegations of terrorism and human rights violation – by any of the parties to the talks”, will be tantamount to breach of the JCPOA and the administration will be obligated to take the necessary measures under the Clause 3 of the Iranian Parliament’s plan and cease the JCPOA activities.

And in June this year, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined Iran’s commitment to the nuclear deal, but made it clear that any violation of the deal by the US will trigger Tehran’s harsher response.

The Leader noted that Iran will never be the first side to violate the nuclear deal, but at the same time noted, “If the threats of tearing off the JCPOA made by the US presidential nominees are carried out, the Islamic Republic will set the JCPAO ablaze.”